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Recruiting 2024: Buford at Milton
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What better way to kick off my 11th season of GPB Sports Football Fridays in Georgia than with one of the biggest regular season games in GHSA history. Join us as we start our 2024 season with Class 6A No.1 Buford vs. Class 5A No. 1 Milton at The Eagles Nest in Milton.
Our Emmy Award winning coverage starts Friday, 7:30 p.m. on GPB-TV Georgia Public Broadcasting.
Now while there have certainly been bigger games in state history from the standpoint of magnitude, there has never been a bigger game as far as college prospects on the field according to GHSF Daily.
Between these two state superpowers there will be 19 players who have power conference commitments and another 21 with power conference offers. That’s 40 total players between the two teams who are either committed to or have an offer from a power conference school.
But it doesn’t end there. There are another 17 total players who are committed or have been offered by Group of Five, FCS or NCAA Division II programs. That’s 57 total players with college commitments or offers. That is mind-boggling. That is staggering.
I am also blessed to call college football and have for nearly as long as I’ve called high school football. I am not joking when I say Buford and Milton have more college prospects in their program than some college football programs.
Now these two teams rarely play each other. This will be the first meeting since the Wolves beat the Eagles 26-23 in 2019 and just the second meeting since 1982. Ironically, while the game will have no ramifications as far as competing for a playoff spot or winning a state championship (which both could conceivably do in December), the game actually carries more weight nationally.
Milton kicks off the season ranked No. 6 in the Max Preps National Rankings and Buford is No. 21. Eagles coach Ben Reaves has made no secret that winning a National Championship is definitely a goal for his team in 2024.
The Eagles come into the season as the reigning state champions in 7A, a classification that no longer exists and also the only classification in which Buford has never won a state title after playing in 7A the last two seasons.
While Valdosta is the winningest program in the nation and it’s 24 state championships are the most in Georgia history, you could certainly call Buford the state’s Team of the 2000s. The Wolves have won 13 of their 14 state titles during this century and have reached the championship game in 18 of the century’s first 24 years.
And then there’s Milton. Starting it’s 75th season dating back to 1950, the Eagles didn’t even win a playoff game for the program’s first 59 years, and now they’ve won two state championships in the last six seasons (2018, 2023) and played for the title in 2021. Many believe this Milton team has the chance to be one of the best in state history. But the first step is getting past a Buford team that’s had disappointing second-round playoff and quarter-inal finishes the last two years (while going 22-3) and after Wolves coach Bryant Appling became the first coach in win state history to win state championships in his first three seasons with a 41-3 record
As they say, “Heavy is the head that wears the crown!”
There are way too many prospects to do a deep dive so I’ll opine on just a few before we give you a comprehensive list so you can keep up as you watch tonight.
While from a recruiting standpoint Milton QB Luke Nickel isn’t the highest rated quarterback in the state, IMO he was the best QB in the state in 2023 and I thought his top target junior WR C.J. Wiley was the best pass catcher in the state. Can they encore in 2024? We’re about to find out and as Bruce Springsteen sang “…that’s where the fun is.”
One last tidbit before we show you the list (and yes, it is a long one), Eagles LT Brayden Jacobs is one of the top OT in the country. Up until two weeks ago he played for Buford. Now he’s back with Milton where several years ago he played in their youth program. Expect things to get a little chippy.
OK. Now the list. Here’s the top prospects to watch tonight.
Milton Prospects
C.J. Wiley – 6-3, 210, Senior – Committed to Florida State June 25th over 33 other offers including Georgia – Consensus 4-Star and rated as high as the No. 11 WR in the country by On3 Recruits
Ethan Barbour – 6-2, 240, Senior – Committed to Georgia September 2023 over 34 other offers – Rated as high as ESPN 4-Star and No. 1 TE in the country.
Brayden Jacobs – 6-7, 330, Senior – Committed to Clemson January 28th over 28 other offers including South Carolina and Alabama – Rated as high as Rivals 4-Star and No. 12 OT in the country.
Luke Nickel – 6-2, 215, Senior – Committed to Miami August 2023 over 26 other offers – Rated as high as On3 Recruits 4-Star and No. 11 QB in the country.
Ryan Ghea – 6-5, 235, Senior – Committed to Auburn November 2023 over 41 Offers – Rated as high as Rivals 4-Star and No. 9 TE in the country by ESPN.
Dylan Lewis – 6’0, 190, Senior – Committed to Tennessee October 2023 over 24 other offers – Consensus 3-Star CB
Caleb Bell – 6-3, 260, Senior – Committed to Arkansas June 19th over 9 other offers including NC State – Consensus 3-Star DL
Ty Redmond – 6-2, 180, Senior – Committed to Tennessee November 2023 over 10 other offers – Consensus 3-Star
Ma’khi Jones – 5-10, 180, Senior – Committed to Duke January 18th over 10 other offers including Penn State – Consensus 3-Star Safety
Amauri Anderson – 5-9, 175, Senior – Eight offers including Ole Miss – Rated as high as On3 Recruits 3-Star RB (Out with torn achilles)
Caleb Ellis – 6-3, 260, Senior DL – Committed to Georgia Southern June 14th.
T.J. Lester – 5-10, 200, Senior RB – Committed to Eastern Kentucky
A.J. Benton – 5-11, 220, Senior LB – Committed to Campbell
Tristan Payne – 5’10, 165, Senior WR – 4 offers including Arkansas State and Morehouse
Garrett Heinecke – 6-1, 250, Senior OL – Offered by Sewanee
Derek Scott – 6-3, 250, Senior OL – Offered by Sewanee and Hampden Sydney
Terence Spencer – 5-10, 250, Senior DL – Two offers including Sewanee.
Hayden Tumminia – 5-11, 215, Senior LB – Two offers including Sewanee.
Ayden Williams – 5-11, 172, Junior WR/DB – Offered by Georgia Tech, South Carolina and UCF
Tristan Lester – 5-11, 188, Junior DB – Offered by Eastern Kentucky
Grant Haviland – 6-4, 215, Sophomore TE – Six offers including Cincinnati, South Carolina and Georgia Tech
Buford Prospects
Jadon Perlotte – 6-3, 200, Senior – Flipped from Georgia to Southern Cal July 30th over 32 other offers including Florida State – Rated as high as ESPN 4-Star and No. 9 LB in the country.
Devin Williams – 5-9, 160, Senior – Committed to Auburn February 26th over 34 offers including Alabama and Tennessee – Rated as high as ESPN 4-Star and No. 13 CB in the country.
Justin Baker – 5-9, 200, Senior – Committed to Tennessee October 2023 over 19 other offers including Michigan – Rated as high as Rivals 4-Star and No. 24 RB in the country.
Mantrez Walker – 5-11, 220, Senior – Committed to Colorado April 27th over 24 other offers – Originally committed to Michigan – Rated as high as Rivals 4-Star and No. 18 LB in the country.
Jordan Allen – 5-7, 170, Senior – Committed to Louisville April 14th over 17 other offers including Georgia – Consensus 3-Star and rated as high as ESPN No. 35 WR in the country.
Hayden Bradley – 6-5, 215, Senior – Committed to Ole Miss April 27th over 36 other offers – Consensus 3-Star and rated as high as Rivals No. 31 TE in the country.
A.J. Holloway – 6-3, 225, Senior – Committed to South Carolina June 14th over 17 other offers – Consensus 3-Star LB
Kenyon Rivera – 6-2, 200, Senior – Committed to Kansas June 16th over 20 other offers including Georgia Tech, Tennessee and Middle Tennessee – Consensus 3-Star LB
Chris Garland – 6-1, 180, Senior – Committed to Stanford April 25th over 13 other offers including Duke and Boston College – Rated as high as On3 Recruits 3-Star CB
Nicco Maggio – 6-2, 250, Senior – Committed to Wake Forest January 31st over nine offers including Duke and West Virginia – Consensus 3-Star and ESPN No. 28 DL in the country.
Ethan Ervin – 6-0, 185, Senior – Committed to Florida Atlantic over 3 other offers – Rated as high as 247 Sports 3-Star RB
T.J. Wilcox – 6-2, 175, Senior QB – Offered by Georgia Tech and West Virginia
Marcus Major – 6-2, 290, Senior OL – Committed to Air Force
Cooper Berry – 6-3, 212, Senior TE – Committed to Mercer over 8 other offers including Jacksonville State and UAB
Jayvin Bennett – 6-2, 235, Senior H-Back/DE – Four offers including UMass and The Citadel
Sam Harkness – 5-11, 175, Senior WR/DB – Offered by Dartmouth
Bryce Perry-Wright – 6-1, 240, Junior – 30 offers including Alabama, Clemson and Auburn – Consensus 4-Star and rated as high as ESPN and Rivals No. 4 DL in the country 2026.
Tyriq Green – 5-10, 190, Junior – 35 offers including Georgia - Rated as high as ESPN 4-Star and No. 7 ATH in the country 2026.
Nassir McCoy – 6-0, 180, Junior – 19 offers including Georgia and Auburn – Rated as high as Rivals 4-Star and No. 8 Safety in the country 2026.
C.J. Sibley – 6-0, 190, Junior – 16 offers including Auburn - Rated as high as Rivals 4-Star and No. 13 LB in the country 2026.
James Morrow – 6-2, 240, Junior – 23 offers including Auburn, Georgia and Alabama – Rated as high as Rivals 4-Star and No. 8 DL in the country 2026.
Dylan McCoy – 5-11, 187, Junior – Six offers including Mississippi State, Ole Miss and NC State – Rated as high as Rivals 3-Star and No. 3 All-Purpose Back in the country 2026.
Dayton Raiola – 6-1, 205, Junior – Three offers including Nebraska – Rated as high as Rivals 3-Star and No. 33 QB in the country 2026.
Ben Mubenga – 6-4, 230, Junior – Nine offers including Auburn, West Virginia and LSU – Rated as high as Rivals 3-Star DL
Jax Pope – 6-0, 190, Junior – Five offers including Florida Atlantic, Indiana and Wake Forest - Rated as high as On3 Recruits 3-Star Safety 2026
Graham Houston – 6-5, 285, Junior OT – Six offers including Georgia.
Cameron Simmons – 6-2, 220, Junior Edge – Offered by Wake Forest and Troy
Hannibal Navies – 6-3, 190, Junior WR – Offered by Colorado
Ethan Hauser – 6-2, 185, Sophomore ATH – Nine offers including Georgia Tech
Joshua Echols – 6-0, 200, Sophomore LB – Offered by Ole Miss, Maryland and Florida Atlantic
Jameer Cantrell – 5-8, 150, Sophomore ATH – Offered by Arkansas and Maryland
Brayden “Tank” Watson – 6-3, 190, Sophomore DB/WR – Offered by Southern Cal
Ryan Tharpe – 6-1, 185, Sophomore LB – Offered by Florida Atlantic
Christian Webb-Scott – 6-5, 220, Freshman Edge – Offered by Georgia State, South Carolina, Wake Forest and USC
Luke Nabors – 6-4, 188, Freshman Edge – Offered by USC
Kevin Hughes – 6-0, 170, Freshman WR – Offered by Georgia State
So, join Wayne Gandy, Jon Nelson, Hannah Goodin, and me for our Emmy Award-winning Football Fridays in Georgia Game of the Week as the 5A Top-Ranked Milton Eagles host the 6A No. 1-Ranked Buford Wolves starting at 7:30 p.m. Remember at halftime Hannah will highlight this week’s Make That Kid an Offer nominees.
You can watch Football Fridays in Georgia in so many ways. You have traditional TV (GPB), online at GPB.org, GPB Sports app, Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, and Twitch.
Now if somehow, you miss it live or just want to watch it again, don’t worry, we replay the entire Football Fridays in Georgia Game of the Week at 11:15 p.m. or you can watch it on demand anytime at GPB.org.
Enjoy your First Football Friday in Georgia of 2024!
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